The third child
by Kitsune1978
Summary: Hikou bared his teeth and shot a wolfish smile at me before he left. "Choose him a name fitting a Jinchuuriki". A short story about Gaara's parents. Rating...T? Beta: Ranchii


**The third child**

He embraced me from behind and kissed my neck.

„Hikou, please, not now. I don't want to have more children."

His hand was sliding under my robe and I sighed.

„Hikou..."

He pressed his body to mine and tried to push me towards bed. I grabbed his wrists and wrenched free.

_No more children. Especially since you're going to seal IT into one of them. I've heard what Elder Chiyo said. „Two of them weren't compatible. Maybe the next one will be."_

_And since three days you're trying. Trying to lure me into false sense of security, into thinking this is love you're turning to me with. Surely you've been watching me attentively to make certain when to approach me._

_This is harder and harder to reject you since I can't let you know what I've heard. But I won't let anyone brand my child like that. I won't..._

His taut fingers stabbed at my neck in a flash and I sank into darkness right away.

Hikou... no, Yondaime Kazekage doesn't care about me anymore.

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It seemed to be just a regular check-up.

The doctor said it's a boy. Another little boy, Kankurou's little brother. And I have to protect him. I must.

„Rest," doctor said and smiled, then left. I followed him discreetly and pressed my ear to the door of the room where he disappeared. They were talking quietly, but I managed to hear something.

„...the compatible one..."

_It was not just a regular check-up._

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„Karura, we decided to seal Shukaku into him."

We? I don't remember discussing such matters with him. But, again, Yondaime Kazekage doesn't care about me at all.

„I'm not going to let you do this. I will protect him."

Hikou bared his teeth and shot a wolfish smile at me before he left.

„Choose him a name fitting a Jinchuuriki".

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I was four months pregnant when they came.

„Karura-sama, we'll be starting sealing ceremony soon."

I stared at them in silence and finally nodded.

„Let me prepare."

When they left, I jumped through the window and started to run away. I forgot everything, even Kankurou and Temari. All I could think about was not to let my son to become „the power of the human sacrifice".

I made it only to the gates when Yashamaru started to fight me.

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I woke up lying on the long table, chains binding my arms and legs, my belly unsheathed. Elder Chiyo and Yondaime Kazekage hovering over me, few ANBU nins warding the door, masks up.

_Yashamaru, traitor, are you there?_

Five candles around, and on another table there was THE TEAKETTLE.

I was struggling and screaming during the entire ceremony.

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It was only few hours later when labour pains began. I grasped my belly and panted. _That's much too early!_ Temari slipped from my lap and looked at me with widened eyes, then rushed towards the door, crying.

„Oto-sama!"

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I gazed at my husband, my sight blurring. He was worried, truly worried. What was it worth now? I was dying.

„His name will be Gaara," I said.

I swore that I will protect my child no matter what. So if I had to die anyway... I raised my hands and started to form seals. Hikou threw himself in my direction, but it was too late.

I opened my eyes for the last time and looked at my son lying next to me. And I whispered to him:

„Gaara... A name not fitting Jinchuuriki at all."

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A/N

The Fourth Kazekage's name wasn't given out in canon so I named him Hikou. There were two reasons:

Hikou is a villain from Fushigi Yuugi OAV, Chichiri's former friend. Chichiri is my favorite character from FY and Hikou made him suffer. Gaara is my favorite character from Naruto so I decided the person who has made him suffer most will also be named Hikou.

Hikou himself betrayed Chichiri and then hated him for what was his own fault, not Chichiri's. The Fourth Kazekage did the same thing, first betrayed Gaara making him Shukaku's vessel and then hated him for that.

As for the last part of the story, I believe that Karura performed some kind of jutsu just before her death which allowed her to protect Gaara with the sand.

I hope you enjoyed the story :)


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